Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round day saw me at Brickfield Lane as Spartan South Midlands Premier Hadley hosted Essex Senior League FC Romania in what promised to be a decent battle between two good sides.
Hadley had smashed in thirteen goals in their previous two rounds including a 9-1 away success at Langford in the previous round. FC Romania had had a much tougher passage, needing a replay to see off fellow ESL side Waltham Forest before battling past Thurlow Nunn Premier Long Melford in the last round.
Both teams know where the goal is though, and the game was not even a minute old when we saw our first one in this contest as the hosts got a dream start when the visitors allowed Jermeel Jno-Baptiste to run unchallenged to the edge of the box and unleash an effort that deflected in off the post.
But the visitors didn’t have to wait long to respond as in the fifth minute they struck a free kick that took a deflection off a defenders outstretched leg and over the keeper into the net. It had been a breathless start.
It didn’t let up either as the visitors carved out a great chance in the tenth minute as a ball across goal was somehow cleared off the line but, just a minute or so later FCR did take the lead when Florin Pop crossed for an unmarked Toby Cleaver to send a downward header into the net and the ESL side had the lead.
The hosts saw a downward header well fielded by the visitors keeper in the 18th minute and then midway through the half Hadley curled a free kick a foot over the bar as they looked to respond to going behind.
And just before the half-hour mark a Hadley cross to the back post was headed way over however the hosts were looking dangerous and giving the visitors plenty to think about.
However on the half hour mark the visitors should of increased their lead as Cleaver managed to get in on goal, compose himself, but slip at the vital moment and see his effort go wide of the near post.
With four mins of the half remaining FCR broke from a Hadley free kick and saw an effort from Pop deflect inches wide of the far post before another FCR effort after some good skill from Pop went straight at the hosts keeper as the visitors ended the half strongly.
It was a half that ended with the visitors ahead in what had been a very entertaining first half at Brickfield Lane.
The early exchanges of the second period saw the hosts drill a shot wide of the near post whilst the visitors curled an effort just wide down the other end and then nine minutes into the second half a long throw caught out the hosts back line and saw Pop in but his effort was blocked by a defender, although the visitors wanted a penalty as they claimed handball, but it was not given.
Midway through the half the visitors saw a couple more openings come their way when after a Cleaver header was caught by the keeper, his throw out went straight to Sergiu Pitaru whose effort went just wide, saving the keepers blushes.
With twenty minutes remaining FCR got in again but saw the keeper beat away their effort at the near post. Cleaver was free in the middle for the visitors too and had the ball been laid across to him he surely would of tapped home. Moments later down the other end the hosts suddenly found themselves in down the right however a rush of blood saw them blaze well over.
But with ten minutes to go the visitors gifted the hosts an equaliser when they allowed a long ball to bounce, encouraging pressure from Kerkstun Macpherson, and this pressure saw a poor header back to the keeper who miscontrolled the ball, and left Macpherson the simple job of rolling the ball into the empty net and set up a grandstand finale to this epic cup tie.
You felt that after that equaliser the hosts may go onto win it and with six minutes left the home side played a terrific ball across goal but no one gambled and the chance had gone.
And then a minute or so later the visitors went oh so close to a potential winner as a curling effort from outside of the box struck the outside of the post with the keeper well and truly beaten.
With three minutes remaining FCR curled a free kick just wide, it really was anyone’s game this but could anyone find a winner?
Well a minute into stoppage time we had that winner as this superb contest was settled by an absolute peach of a strike as after Hadley have given the ball away in midfield, the visitors sent a long range effort over the keeper who was off his line into the net and see the visitors go wild.
It was a superb late winner and fit to win any game of football, let alone this one. It had been a terrific battle and both teams should take credit for that. However it is FC Romania who take their place in the hat for Monday’s Second Qualifying Round draw so congratulations to them for that.
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